A routine transatlantic journey turned into a nightmare when a passenger went on a violent rampage aboard a packed airliner.
Lufthansa flight 431 departed Chicago bound for Germany on October 25 but never reached its intended destination.
Instead, the aircraft made an unscheduled stop in Boston after a man allegedly launched a series of attacks against fellow travelers.
The violent outburst left multiple people injured and resulted in federal charges that could land the suspect behind bars for a decade.
Authorities identified the accused attacker as Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, a 28-year-old who originally came to America from India.
He entered the country years ago on a student visa to pursue graduate studies. But according to prosecutors, Usiripalli no longer maintains legal immigration status in the United States.
The violent episode began after flight attendants had distributed meals to passengers.
One victim, a 17-year-old male, had fallen asleep in his seat when he was violently attacked.
The teenager suddenly awoke to find Usiripalli looming over him. The suspect was clutching a metal fork in his hand.
Without warning, Usiripalli allegedly drove the fork into the teen’s shoulder area. The sharp utensil then struck the young victim’s collarbone as he tried to defend himself.
Usiripalli then turned his attention to another passenger. He allegedly struck a second 17-year-old male in the back of the head.
Flight attendants rushed to subdue the violent passenger before he could harm anyone else.
During the struggle, witnesses say the suspect made a disturbing gesture. He allegedly “raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and pulled an imaginary trigger.”
He also allegedly managed to slap a female passenger across the face. He then attempted to strike a flight attendant but was finally brought under control.
The Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office later detailed the full scope of the attacks.
Prosecutors noted that Usiripalli had studied at a private evangelical college in Chicago. He had been enrolled in a master’s program focused on biblical studies. But he overstayed his student visa and remained in the country illegally.
The captain made the decision to divert the flight. The aircraft touched down at Boston Logan International Airport much earlier than scheduled. Law enforcement was waiting on the tarmac.
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As soon as the plane came to a stop, officers boarded and took Usiripalli into custody.
Personnel from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations assisted in the arrest. The suspect was removed from the aircraft without further incident.
Medical personnel evaluated the injured passengers. While the teenagers sustained injuries from the fork attacks, authorities say the wounds do not appear to be life-threatening. The exact condition of all victims remains unclear.
Usiripalli now faces assault with a dangerous weapon while traveling on an aircraft with intent to do bodily harm. The crime occurred within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
If convicted, the consequences are severe. Usiripalli could spend up to 10 years in a federal prison.
He also faces a potential fine of $250,000. And because of his immigration status, deportation appears likely. A court date has not yet been scheduled.
The incident marks the latest in a disturbing trend of violence aboard commercial aircraft.
Just weeks earlier, another flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger attacked crew members.
Tracy Barkhimer, 61, was arrested after allegedly assaulting at least one Alaska Airlines employee on a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Dallas. The October incident resulted in an unscheduled stop at Boise Airport in Idaho.
Police in Boise say Barkhimer displayed “erratic behavior” during the flight. When airline employees tried to calm her down, she allegedly struck two workers.
The woman from White Salmon, Washington, now faces two counts of misdemeanor battery.
Crew members managed to restrain Barkhimer. The pilots then diverted the plane to Boise. Just before 1:30 a.m., airport division officers were alerted about the emergency landing.
Two victims met with police and requested a citizen’s arrest. They signed affidavits against Barkhimer.
After investigators gathered evidence, Barkhimer was removed from the plane. She was taken into custody without resistance and booked into the Ada County Jail. The Boise Police Department handled the arrest.
Alaska Airlines required its crew to undergo medical evaluation after the assault. The airline cleared them to fly after the checkup. The aircraft finally continued to Dallas after a 90-minute delay on the ground.
Earlier in October, a New Jersey-bound plane was diverted after a passenger wearing more than a dozen face masks began shouting bizarre conspiracy theories.
The Sun Country Airlines flight left Minneapolis headed for Newark on a Friday morning. But the trip ended prematurely in Chicago after the man’s strange behavior escalated.
Passenger Seth Evans sat across the aisle from the disruptive traveler. He told the Minnesota Star Tribune that problems began immediately after takeoff. The man started claiming he was being “gang chased” by gay people.
The paranoid passenger screamed that he was being “radiated” and “cooked” by gays.
He insisted they were giving him cancer. Perhaps to protect himself from the imaginary threat, the man wore “no less than 15 masks” over his mouth and nose, according to Evans.
At one point during the flight, the man announced “Trump is here.” But the bizarre rants weren’t constant. Between outbursts, the passenger calmly played rounds of Candy Crush on his phone. Then he would suddenly stand up and start shouting again at full volume.
The situation reached a breaking point when the man began declaring “the plane is going down.” Crew members decided they couldn’t risk continuing the flight. The aircraft landed at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Chicago police boarded the plane and handcuffed the disruptive passenger. He was removed from the aircraft and taken away.
US Marshals then questioned all the passengers before the flight was cleared to continue. The plane eventually completed its journey to New Jersey.
